Review Sections

Handepay Overview

A Streamline/EVO Payments International Reseller

Handepay is a UK-based merchant account provider that operates as a reseller of Streamline, a much larger UK processor. The company is also partnered with EVO Payments International as an overseas reseller of EVO’s products. Handepay appears to operate an equipment leasing subsidiary called “Merchant Rentals” that shares Handepay’s address.

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Handepay Rates, Fees, and Costs

Key Points

Swiped Rate

1.00% - 4.99%

Keyed-in Rate

1.00% - 4.99%

Virtual Terminal Rate

1.00% - 4.99%

Payment Gateway Fee

£19.99 Per Month

Early Termination Fee

Liquidated Damages

PCI Compliance Fee

Undisclosed

Equipment Lease Terms

36 Month (locked)

12-36 Month Contract Term

According to merchant complaints, the standard Handepay contract is a 12-36 month agreement with automatic renewal for 12-month terms unless canceled in writing at least three months prior to the expiration of the initial term. The required three-month notice was formerly twelve months according to numerous older complaints about the company. This condition was such a prominent issue for merchants that multiple merchant reviewers describe their sales reps advising them to compose and submit a cancellation notice upon signup so that the term would automatically cancel itself at the end of the original term. This practice doesn’t reflect well on the company’s policies, although it seems merchants who are fortunate enough to receive an attentive sales rep are able to avoid the issue.

Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Pricing

In addition to its storefront payment processing services, Handepay also dedicates a portion of its website that advertises its virtual terminal and payment gateway services. For £19.99 per month, up to 400 transactions can be processed through the payment gateway for an agreed-upon rate. Transactions over the monthly threshold of 400 are assessed an additional per-transaction fee of £0.10. Additional rates and fees, technical support fees, and batch fees typically apply to these e-commerce services.

Handepay Early Termination Fee

In the event that a merchant fails to provide proper notice but still insists on being released from a processing agreement or terminal lease, Handepay appears to charge a sizable early termination feethat may even be a Liquidated Damages fee. Merchants who anticipate being able to cancel their equipment leases after 18 months per the 1974 Consumer Credit Act will be sorry to learn that Handepay, like its competitor Retail Merchant Services, appears to have devised a workaround to that provision that will still require a merchant to pay out the full cost of the lease. To be more specific, by classifying rent payments as quarterly “membership” fees rather than rental fees, Handepay is able to exempt equipment payments from the Consumer Credit Act. Although this practice has been repeatedly reported in relation to Handepay, it’s possible that not all merchants may encounter it.

Merchant Rentals Affiliation

Since our last update of this review, we have seen multiple merchants mention an equipment leasing company called Merchant Rentals that is partnered with Handepay. Merchant Rentals actually shares an address with Handepay, which is a strong indicator that it is simply a DBA of Handepay that specializes in credit card terminal leases. In our opinion, there is very little reason for a company to maintain a separate brand for equipment leases unless it is trying to split negative reviews between the two brands. Merchants are advised to purchase rather than lease equipment whenever possible, and they should assume that Merchant Rentals is an affiliated business of Handepay until more information is available.

Response from Handepay

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Handepay Complaints & Customer Reviews

Key Points

Total Online Complaints

30+

Live Customer Support

Yes

Most Common Complaint

Auto-Renewing Contract

Moderate Complaint Total

We’ve found a moderate number of negative Handepay reviews across multiple consumer protection forums, with some of them describing Handepay as a ripoff or a scam. In the comment section below, over 10 merchants have complained of automatic contract extensions and unexpected cancellation fees, which indicates that Handepay’s revised policy falls short of merchant expectations.

Other Complaint Contents

On UK Business Forums, there are several threads that specifically cite issues with Handepay’s sales practices, contract terms, equipment leases, and customer service. The main problem appears to be the contract’s automatic renewal, as many merchants note that the 12- or three-month deadline came and went without them being even faintly aware of it. Handepay representatives did not respond to any complaints that we located.

Handepay on Trustpilot

The company also maintains a 9.8 out of 10 rating on Trustpilot, but we are not inclined to factor a Trustpilot score heavily into our overall ratings due to Trustpilot’s policy of allowing companies to purchase limited control of their profiles.

Handepay BBB Rating Summary

Response from Handepay

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Truth In Marketing & Advertising

Key Points

Employs Independent Resellers

No

Advertises Deceptive Rates

No

Discloses All Important Terms

No

Outside Sales Team

Handepay appears to market its services through salaried outside sales agents and telemarketing. The company claims that it does not employ commission-only independent agents, which we consider to be a factor in its favor. In spite of this, we have located a moderate number of complaints regarding the sales tactics of Handepay representatives. The most common issue cited is nondisclosure of rates and fees, particularly the company’s automatic renewal clause in its contract and equipment leases. Merchants have complained about these issues with regularity since we first posted this review, which contradicts Handepay’s public claims that it has altered its policy in response to merchant complaints.

Price Challenge

The company advertises a price challenge promotion on its website. According to the advertisement, Handepay will pay merchants £1,000 if it doesn’t save them money on the cost of their current payment processing service. The company attests it can save merchants so much by refusing to impose joining fees, statement fees, authorization fees, PCI compliance/non-compliance fees, or monthly minimum fees.

No Deceptive Quotes

To its credit, Handepay does not utilize misleading rate quotes or deceptive promotion in its official materials. However, merchants are still encouraged to read all contract terms carefully rather than take a salesperson’s word. If you suspect that a Handepay representative has added hidden fees to your contract, we recommend seeking a thorough third-party statement review.

Response from Handepay

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Handepay Marketing Example

Our Opinion of Handepay

An Average Option for UK Merchants

Handepay receives an average rating as a merchant services provider according to our system. The company has received most of its complaints due to its automatic renewal policy, but it claims to have taken steps in recent years to improve this issue. Overall, Handepay offers fairly standard contract terms for the industry and engages in common advertising tactics. Merchants are advised to compare Handepay’s pricing to that offered by top-rated merchant account providers.

About Phillip Parker

Thank you for reading my review. I hope that it has helped you with your research.

Why I'm Qualified to Write About Credit Card Processing

I'm a former credit card processing sales director who left the industry to start my own a small business. From the time that I starting working in the merchant services industry to when I left to write about it, I've been on the pulse of payments for nearly 15 years. It didn't seem fair to keep this insider knowledge to myself, so built this website to help small business owners research which service providers to use and how to save money on rates and fees. I've reviewed hundreds of companies, read thousands of user reviews, and learned the pricing tricks of every provider. If you have questions about credit card processing, you can find the answers here. I can help you save money with your current merchant account or help you find a new one. Message me here to get started.

Get started right away! I've help businesses save $1,156,834 this year alone! Submit a recent statement and I'll take a look at it for free.

waited the full 12 days after providing them with passports. bank statements. mortgage statements etc, only to be told after I CONTACTED THEM, that EVO??? needed to see full accounts for the last 2 years. We are a small trading partnership that do personal tax returns and don’t have full accounts. Waste of time, mine and theirs! ridiculous. If that’s hat thet’ll be like to deal with on a regular basis, I think we got off lightly.

I would not trust Merchant Rentals. The staff were lovely on the phone but I was surprised to find out that after having my terminal for years I was trapped in some kind of automatic renewal. I have had to give up working for heath reasons and this is financially crippling. I explained to them that I needed to end my contract and why. They were not very helpful with me and I had to pay 7 months rental to escape. All well and good but when I am not working it is literally emotionally and physically going to affect me.

With this auto renewing contract that the sales rep all those years ago failed to explain to me and my current bad health I do not have the strength or mental ability to argue, but please be very careful.

Thanks to the staff for kind words, but sorry I could not recommend Merchant Rentals.

High pressure sales by quick talking salesman complaining of parking ticket time restriction for not having more time….The result;
I wasn’t properly explained that the contract is for four years. There is no cooling off period! None!
The sales person, though very politely, place a lot of pressure on me to hurry. both times he came to see me he was on short time as his parking was running out. I felt pressured but trusted him. It was my mistake. He had shown me a leaflet that if I didn’t save money I’d get £1000. Free rental till April and so on. He talked very fast and hurried me along. When I pulled up the contract on the screen he gave me no time at all to read just scrolled to the sign bit and told me to click there…and there and that he had “only four minutes left on his parking before he gets a fine”.
Had I been clearly told that the contract locks me in for four years, I would not have signed it. When he came by the next day I told Mr Martin the salesman that I don’t want the contract and he said to contact Handepay. (He then rushed out the door.) – So I wrote to My Fiona Lyons who unsurprisingly believed her sales staff’s as opposed to my word. She advised me to contact Merchant Rentals by phone. So I have spoken to Mandy who told me that I will probably have to pay four years worth of rentals and other costs. (over £1300+ in my calculations) – I am well and truly closed! – Seeing that my shop doesn’t make £1300 most months, there is no way I can afford to pay. – Although I found Handepay’s staff polite, they are also unrelenting and unsympathetic.

Avoid Handepay at all costs, terrible morals and shocking behaviour.
This is a long review but if you are thinking of using handepay please read it so you can see the type of company you are dealing with.
I have been with handepay for a while and put a lot of transactions through my terminals. Last year I took a cash advance from Quick capital … This was repaid through the card machines
Recently I was shopping around for the best rate on card terminals and wanted another cash advance for an equipment purchase.
I was offered both from an alternative company. I told handepay I was shopping around and they knocked a miniscule amount off my fees. I declined this and sadi I was going with another provided. Miraculously I was transferred to retentions who tells me they didn’t think I was seriously leaving, if I was I should have been passed to them.. after providing them with the fees I was offered I still haven’t had a counter offer from them but in the meantime they couldn’t compete with my cash advance from another supplier.
Here’s where they show their true colours . When I told them I was taking the cash advance from another supplier and paying it through my terminal (after Evo payments gave me a written confirmation this was fine) handepay got involved with Evo pay and told them not to change my bank details to the new supplier.. basically if they couldn’t have my business no one could. This just shows the true lack of integrity and resembles a child spitting their dummy out.
Backfired… I’ve still got the funding elsewhere.. and am now changing card processor too.
Handepay are a very greedy company.
They want the business from everywhere and when they don’t get it they sulk.
Your terminals are rented from “merchant rentals” handepay set your rates and quick capital provide the cash advance.. on paper all seperate entities… BUT… all ran from and registered to the same building in haydock and a quick check on companies House shows same people involved in all of them.
I have also had numerous referrals that have never been paid…
One thing is for sure I would never ever refer or recommend handepay , terminal rentals or quick capital to anyone again and will make sure I let as many people I can know about their underhanded tactics.
Another thing they like to do is report negative reviews to trustpilot . I can assure you this is genuine , I have emails and phone call recordings to back it up and also my business is Stone Tyres in ST Helens should you or any prospective customer wish me to verify anything in here.. Shambles of a company and one to be avoided at all costs.

I was recommended by a friend I found the service from beginning to end excellent Lindsay went far beyond my expectations in terms of information and service and after care once installation had been completed
Many thanks

Signed with Merchant Rentals on the proviso that the other contract with Evo went through. We decided as a company that we weren’t comfortable with them having full access to our accounts and did not go ahead and sign. Now we are being threatened with legal action as we are refusing to pay Merchant Rentals. They only release a terminal once you have signed with Evo, we have informed them that we are not going to and were under the belief (via the sales person) that the contract would only be formed if all the different parts were confirmed. This is not so. They want us to pay for a terminal we do not have, have never had and will never have. They are refusing to do anything about it, merely stating that we have to pay. How can this be legal. I have tried to get them to cancel the contract and see sense but that is not something they hold in abundance.

Avoid handepay, going to take legal action for a terminal i dont even have and never will. Wasnt happy with the rep , tried cancelling less then 17 hours after hed gone at 16.00pm “working 9 -5pm ” Told rep at 9.00pm to cancel the whole, he obviuosly not bothered back in november, now they want me to pay 948.00 ang got a debt agecy involved. are these people human beings or what, the rep never mentioned about cooling off periods or anything else, Everybody on here and reading this need to go trust pilot and post there.

Came up with a 30% saving over my existing card provider. The terminal hire charges are rather high £9 a month higher than our previous company charges for WiFi terminal. Be very careful the will want to sign you up immediately with e dign. There is absolutely no cooling off period once you have signed and returned e sign form. Threaten you that you are committed to a 5 year contract. And no get out clause be very careful. Make sure before you sign I found customer care helpful and terminal was delivered 3 days late. But installed and set up and fully working by courtier.

Warning to all business owners please be aware of these CROOKS, they are just conmen in disguise, had the misfortune of signing up below are the results of three days……….
Terminal rejected over 150 transactions, in first day of trading lost well over £700 in free food given to upset customers, called the help desk on numerous occasions and they could not help after trying several times to resolve, when calling out of hours the call goes to the USA who claim the can not help as it is outwith the USA, NOW I AM STUCK WITH A FOUR YEAR CONTRACT, believe me it is better to pay than to stick with handypay.
This review is especially targeted to business owners in Scotland be aware guys the so called Manager will visit you’re premises promising this and that do not be taken in they will deliver dog poo and not give a toss.

where can I start from…………… unfortunately signed up and from day one been having issues with the terminal rejecting card payments, every second payment the terminal rejects, have made several calls to the so called help desk which by the way are as useful as a old broken chocolate teapot but no joy.
had the terminal for five days and have almost 150 rejected transactions and lots and lots of unhappy, angry customers.
be aware do not sign up as the service is crap terminal and software are crap, I am now going to have to pay four years charges to cancel which I will do it is that bad.

be aware do NOT SIGN UP WITH THE PROMISE OF SAVING MONEY YOU WILL LOSE OUT

very dis honest company, think three times before you start dealing with handy pay. I never had their PDQ machine in my shop but they start taking money from my account, when i find out I stop them and now they are taking me to court for service they never provided,
there are a lots of other companies out there as good as gold, MERCHANT MONEY OR CAPITAL ON TAP.

Appalling company avoid like the plague handy pay and merchant rentals are in bed together constant harassment whilst under review by the financial ombudsman for selling terminal which we never received

Absolute joke of a company. Cancellation letter sent along with a written notice of cancellation with the terminals. Claiming they never received and are now wanting to take another 2 years worth of direct debits out due to clause 1.3?? which was never made clear. the clause itself does not make any sense.

You pay for renting the machines if anything goes wrong or you would like to cancel it is impossible as they will keep you for as long as they like.

Don’t touch Handepay and Merchant Rentals with bargepole. Just got caught by their automatic extension period and they are trying ot charge me £937 to get out of the lease. Sharp practice – the very least. I will be making a point of publicising this as much as possible.

Handepay (Merchant Rentals continues (Aug 2016) to impose draconian cancellation term and “automatic ” contract extensions .
The only hope is that in a recent case the court has held that a sole trader enjoys the protection of consumer legislation and that legislation makes such clauses unenforceable

Any Handepay card terminal customers please be advised that if YOU don’t give them written notice A YEAR before your contract term is to end, they will
EXTEND the contract AUTOMATICALLY for another 2 years!!! One of mine was about to end but I have to pay over £700 to get out of it as it was automatically extended (nothing been sent to me to advise) DISGUSTING! It’s all in the small print apparently. Given notice on my other PDQ machines so will be looking for another, more empathetic card provider.

They are meant to help small businesses, not put them out of business for charging for something that’s not even being used.

Please think twice before using this company ! The minute you have a problem with your card machine they are not interested , (I spent 48 hrs which when you work in a busy hairdressers cost me a fortune ). Trying to find out who I should get a machine from !! !!! !!!!! Eventually I got it sorted but I was exhausted at the end of it . I had a three year contract which I realised finished in July ! I was a month late as now automatically have signed up for another year !
Plus they have now told me that the machine is only guaranteed for 1 st 12 months ! So be where if you have a 2 or 3 year contract , you are only covered for 1st year !
Their fees are high too but I sighed up to that so only me to blame ,just would like a company that replace or talk you through how to repair a machine . Is that to much to ask !!!!!!

As I have decided to close my business, I contacted handepay/Merchant Rentals at Haydock to inform them of cessation of business. As with normal utilities viz electricity, gas etc all these processes are well tried and tested and taken in the stride. Not with Handepay though as I have discovered. They have sent me a bill amounting to £550 to cover the period up until October 2017 !!!! As I have only received this shock today, I haven’t decided what to do about it or even contacted Handepay with any response. Any advice would be welcome.

Please do not use profanity or ALL CAPITAL LETTERS in your review. Reviews must provide a detailed account of your experience. By submitting a review or comment to CPO, you are agreeing to our Comment Policy.

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About The Author

Phillip Parker is a former merchant services agent who now spends his time reviewing merchant account providers and writing articles about credit card processing to help small business owners find the right services for their needs.

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